NationStates Jolt Archive

I wish to know what career paths are available in this field. I'm about 4 months away from graduating from High School, when I filled out my college application, I chose History as a major. As you can see, I'm really worried about this choice, as I'm having trouble finding possible future careers. Anyone have advice?

I am thinking about changing it, however history is something I really enjoy and find fascinating....decisions...decisions *sighs*

PS Please don't say teaching, I would probably lose my temper on the first day.

Teaching haha ;) One of my majors is History. There are alot of options. Click here (http://www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/history.htm)

In most colleges, you do not have to declare your major until the end of your sophomore year (aka second year). So don't worry about it.

Good freaking luck. I'm a history major and I haven't the foggiest idea what I'm going to do with it. I was going to teach, but my EDU classes scared that idea right out of me. Go into business or something.

ba in history in 90 and i delivery pizza and substitute teach(i can't even be a real teacher without at least another year and a half of college)

You dont need to lock in your major before you even graduate from High School!! Stay open to other options until you complete your freshman year(of college).
Of course your intended major might affect what school you choose but oh well

My advice, as a recent graduate and history major: find another skill, and let that be your backup. Computers, business, law, god, I don't know, underwater basketweaving - anything you think might actually be employable. Let that be your minor, then just revel in the history courses as an intellectual pursuit. If after 4 years you decide you're absolutely in love with history, go to graduate school and become a professor, since that's really the only worthwhile career option for a history major. Otherwise, stick to your "backup" skill once you're outta there. College is great for the intellectual stimulation (well, assuming it's a good college), but after living through it I'm not totally convinced it should determine what you do with the rest of your life.

You can become a guy that studies History and then talks about it on History Channel documentaries.

Notice how that link gives anything and everything and how everyone employs history majors? That’s because having a history major means you have jack that the world wants.

A degree in History means you can do anything because you're not specialized in anything but history, it also means you had better be a damn good salesman because you'll have to sell yourself, and not your degree, to the people that decide to hire you or not.

My advice? Can history as your major and go Economics, Business, Math or a hard science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) or Engineering. Do a minor in History if you like history but if your main concern is job prospects a BA in History is not the way to go.

Of course, I'm a Business/Economics major with a specialty in Accounting. Working on a real estate license and getting ready to study my ass of in order to be a CPA. I'm biased.

Cheers.

I too am planning on majoring in history. But I'm gonna do Russian Studies and Russian Language as minors (if i get into American University). I'll probablly go on to graduate school and become a professor, or maybe law school. All of that is expensive as hell though, I'll probably move to Europe(Russia or England) for a few years, then go to graduate school there.

Either that, or I'll deliver Pizza and watch Law and Order reruns on TNT all day.

My advice, as a recent graduate and history major: find another skill, and let that be your backup. Computers, business, law, god, I don't know, underwater basketweaving - anything you think might actually be employable. Let that be your minor, then just revel in the history courses as an intellectual pursuit. If after 4 years you decide you're absolutely in love with history, go to graduate school and become a professor, since that's really the only worthwhile career option for a history major. Otherwise, stick to your "backup" skill once you're outta there. College is great for the intellectual stimulation (well, assuming it's a good college), but after living through it I'm not totally convinced it should determine what you do with the rest of your life.
Ah excellent advice, I suppose I could always put in place one of my other choices like Computer science or Bio as my major when that time comes. As someone stated before I still have 2 years before I have to finally choose....

Teaching haha One of my majors is History. There are alot of options. Click here
Just curious, how many of those jobs are widely available?

ba in history in 90 and i delivery pizza and substitute teach(i can't even be a real teacher without at least another year and a half of college)
ouch.....

historian or teacher or. . . . .pizza delivery guy that just happens to know a freakish amount about the unification of the germanic states.


I have no clue.

historian or teacher or. . . . .pizza delivery guy that just happens to know a freakish amount about the unification of the germanic states.

lol! Thanks for the advice y'all. Seems I still have some major pondering sessions to do. I'm gonna go unload some stress with a round of UT2k4.

Work in a museum, teach history, write books, umm, err...

The Goa Uld, why exactly do you want to do history, what is that interests you most about history?

Heh, i'm having the exact same problem at the moment. I think teaching is really the only choice :(

Teaching haha ;) One of my majors is History. There are alot of options. Click here (http://www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/history.htm)

I especially liked these!

Some Employers of History Majors:

* Advertising (Placard bearer)
* Business and Industry (Mail room sorter, labourer)
* Media (Cameraman)
* Museums & Archives (Janitor)
* Peace Corps / Vista (Volunteer worker)
* Travel and tour services (Bus driver)
* Corrections & Court Systems (Jail Warden)
* Highway & Street Construction and Maintenance
* Housing & Community Development (Builder)
* Library (Librarian)
* Parks & Recreation (Gardener)
* Transportation (Truck Driver)

#1. don't worry about it. everybody changes majors. it isn't important yet.

#2. if jobs are your primary concern, ditch university and go to tech school. you'll probably wind up making more money sooner, without being tens of thousands of dollars in debt.

#3. but you really should go to university. you should just go for its own sake - learning is an end in itself.

You could get a career in politics. Our First Minister did a history major as well.

I plan on getting my masters and teaching it so I can not help you there. Like any liberal arts major, a lot of places will hire you.

I have one. Its basically great for debating in conversation. But what I do is run a Irish pub and have a net biz importing guitars from China.

This is from a Georgia Tech grad (me), so take it for what it's worth...There was no such thing as a history major at that school.

But to answer your question, you can practice the phrase "Would you like fries with that?". That will be useful in your future. One of my pals went Georgia State and did get a history major. After he graduated and was rejected from every law school he applied to, he managed a Wendys. So, if you do pursue history -- GET GOOD, no, GREAT GRADES!

As some of the people have mentioned, you can change your major. I entered university as a computer science major, but I switched to English at the end of my first year. (Well, the irony is that I'm now studying computer-related stuff, although not programming. I've got fat books on Photoshop and Flash MX right on my desk, next to the computer. LOL!)

Meh. i'm also undecided about what i want to study, but it's probably either gonna be political science or geology. Any ideas on careers for one of those? (Geology is obvious i guess)

I have heard that a history major can work as an intel. officer in the military.

Hell... history major is as rough as philosophy major. They're two of the least self-capable majors I can think of. Even a Literature major is more marketable, since you have a hard time not learning how to write since you do all those worthless journals.

If you're keen on history, take Anthropology with an english minor. You need to learn how to get NEW information (Being a walking book hasn't been useful since computer databases were invented.), and how to record it in a useful manner. Just KNOWING history is no longer a useful skill in itself. It was only useful back in the days of advisors to important people who could give them war advice. Nobody even pretends to try to learn from history any longer, so its just not doing anything.

That said, history -is- extremely interesting. But we have computers now, you knowing what other people have learned is nigh-useless unless there's a power outage, or you're on a museum tour.

I have heard that a history major can work as an intel. officer in the military.
A phys-ed major can be an intel officer, so can a electrical engineer, as can a kindergarten teacher. At least that's true in the US military.

Meh. i'm also undecided about what i want to study, but it's probably either gonna be political science or geology. Any ideas on careers for one of those? (Geology is obvious i guess)

A friend of mine graduated with a degree in political science, and he's kept going back to school for other stuff since. Web design, accounting, and such. I guess teaching is definitely an option for political science majors, but the guy I'm talking about here isn't the teaching type. :rolleyes:

After reading all these posts, Biology is starting to look more appealing....

I'm off to university next year and I'm doing a History degree. I have two choices at the end of my time which hopefully my degree will enable me to decide:

1) I shall use my degree to do a one year Law Diploma and then enter solicitor training

or

2) I shall carry on with history, obtain a doctorate and be an academic (lecture, write books etc etc)

I was orginally going to do a degree in Law but I am very passionate about history and decided I would be better off doing 3 years of something I enjoy rather than doing 3 years of law which can be done in 1 year anyway.